Former Walt Disney Imagineering creative director Jim Shull has revisited Disney Wharf, an unbuilt Sydney Harbour concept, posting an aerial rendering and describing it as “announced but never built.”
Shull wrote that he was proud of the creative work he produced for the project and that some of its ideas might find a home someday. His post does not announce a revived Disney project or identify a current construction plan.
Announced but never built #DisneyWharf was intended for Sydney Harbor. I’m proud of the creative work I produced for the project generating ideas that maybe someday will find a home.
— Jim Shull (@JimShull) August 24, 2026
Disney Wharf Was Planned for White Bay and Glebe Island
Australasian Leisure Management reported in 2016 that Disney had proposed the waterfront destination in 2007–08 for Sydney Harbour’s White Bay and Glebe Island. The report said proposal documents circulated to the New South Wales Government under the project name “Disney Wharf at Sydney Harbour,” with “Project Lester” used as an internal code name.
The concept occupied a complicated piece of waterfront near the city. It was tied to the former White Bay power station, Glebe Island and transport links that would have been needed to connect the destination to the rest of Sydney.
The Plan Mixed Theme Park Elements With a Waterfront District
The proposal was broader than a standalone theme park. The 2016 report described classic Disney theme park elements alongside themed hotels, a marina, ferry access, light-rail stations, retail, entertainment venues and residential development.
Its outline also included a design studio and arts center in the old power station, a landscaped “Fantasia Gardens” area on Glebe Island, a theater district and a Disney University and hospitality school. The mix helps explain why Shull calls Disney Wharf a project between a park and a retail-and-entertainment district.
Infrastructure Costs Helped End the Sydney Proposal
The report said the New South Wales Government’s interest weakened as the required infrastructure became clearer. It estimated that the project would have needed at least $500 million in transport investment. Disney never built the destination, and the company’s response at the time was that it regularly discussed growth opportunities with many entities.
Shull’s new post is a retrospective look at the design work, not evidence that Disney has reopened plans for an Australian theme park or waterfront resort.
Sources: Jim Shull’s original post and Australasian Leisure Management’s 2016 report on the Sydney proposal.
Image: Disney Wharf concept art by Jim Shull, shared in his original X post.